Protective apparatus and system.



L; W. CHUBB.

PROTECTIVE APPARATUS`AND SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I2. i915.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

TMNT CFFIDMW LEWIS W. CHUBB, OF EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORVTO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918..

Application led July 12, 1915. Serial N o. 39,420.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS W. CHUBB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Protective Apparatus and Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to door-operating systems for vehicles, and it has special reference to safety systems for operating doors in conjunction with the motor-control syselms of electric railway vehicles and the The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive system of the above-indicated character for preventing the opening of vehicle doors when the driving motors are in operation and for preventing the starting of the vehicle when the doors are open, whereby the liability of accidents may be reduced to a. minimum.

In the prior art, various vehicle door operating systems have been proposed, but, so far as I am aware, no single system exists for coperatively performing both of the above-mcntioned functions, as each function has been eected by independent and individual apparatus, thereby requiring a relatively complicated and expensive safety system.

According to my present invention, I provide a novel and simple system having the desirable characteristic of performing both of the required functions reliably Vand effectively, as hercinaftermore fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a safety system embodying my invention in conjunction with a motor-controlling system for electric vehicles; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of one piece of control apparatus that is employed in the system shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating a modification thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1, the system here shown comprises a plurality of suitable doors D1 and D2 that are disposed in accordance with customary practice upon an electric railway vehicle (not shown) a plurality of operating mechanisms CM1 and CM2 for the doors D1 and D2, respectively; a suitable supply circuit comprising conductors respectively marked Trolley and Groundg a vehiclelnotor-control system CS, the circuits of partially illustrated in connection with a master controller MC of a conventional type; a door-controlling switch DS that preferably forms a part of the master controller; a magnetically-controlled switch MS that is associated with a vehicle motor in a manner to be described and which is employed in connection with the operation of the vehicle doors; and a plurality of doorrestraining devices or 'latches HD1 and RD2 that are .associated with the doors D1 and D2, respectively, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The operating mechanisms CM1 and CM2 each comprises a suitable pneumatic valve member V and a pneumatically-operated piston P coperating therewith, and that moves within a suitable cylinder 1 and is secured tov the corresponding door by means of a rod 2. The piston P is held in the position shown in the drawing, which corresponds to the closed position of the doors, through the agency of a suitable helical spring 3 that is disposed behind the piston within the cylinder 1. The cylinder 1 and the valve V are connected by a pipe or passage 4.

The valve V may be of any suitable type and is shown as connected to a pipe or passage 5 which conducts fluid pressure from any suitable source (not shown) to the body which are of the valve, which is normally closed except when the actuating coil 6 1s energlzed,

whereupon fluid pressure is admitted from` the pipo 5 through the valve V and the pipe 4` to the cylinder 1 to open the door. iVhen the actuating coil 6 is dcnergized, the cylinder 1 communicates through the pipe 4 and thevalve V to an exhaust pipe or passage 7, as illustrated inthe drawing, whereupon the spring 3 eects the closure of the door. The valves V preferably yare also severally provided with manually operable handles 6 for emergency purposes, as set forth later.

The door restraining devices HD1 and HD2 each comprises a suitable actuating coil 8 for a core-member 9 'that also serves the purpose of a latch by reposing in a groove or recess 10 in the top edge of the door D1 or the door D2 when the door occupies its closed position. The core member 9 has its upper end provided with a movable contact member 11 that is adapted to bridge a pair of stationary Contactl members 19 when the door is in its closed position. The actuating coils 6 .and 8 are all four in series circuit relation, as set forth more fully later. The core-members 9 preferably are also lprovided with manually operable handles 9 for emergency purposes, as hereinafter described.

For the purpose of supplying the motorcontrol system CS with a suitably low voltage, a control resistor CR of a familiar type is connected between the supply-eircuit conductors Trolley and Ground, and the control system is connected between an intermediate point 13 of the control resistor and a point 14 thereof that is connected directly to ground.

The door-controlling switch DS may be a separate device, if desired, but preferably forms a part of the master controller MC, and is adapted to occupy a position marked Open that corresponds to the off position of the controller, for effecting the opening of the vehicle doors, and is adapted in all other positions of the controller to maintain the closure of the doors, as indicated by the legend, Close Thus the operation of the doors is automatically taken out of the hands of the train operator, the doors being opened when the vehicle stops and being closed when the master controller is moved to its first position, although the vehicle is not set in motion until theI doors are closed.

The magnetically-controlled switch MS, best shown in Fig. 2, in its general form resembles the well-known magnetic-disk braking device that is employed in various types of watt-meters, and comprises a disk of copper or other suitable material that is secured to a shaft or axle 16 which, in turn, is shown as rigidly associated with the shaft 17 of one of the propelling motors M. It will be understood that any other suitable transmission means may be employed for effecting a rotation of the disk 15 in aecordance with the lnovement of the motor shaft 17, such as belts or gears, for example, if it is desired to place the magnetica]ly-eonw trolled switch MS in the body of the ear rather than upon the vehicle-truck. 'l`he shaft or axle 16 is suitably supported in a bearing member 18, to which are attached a Ipair of arms 19 that extend in opposite directions and have their ends suitably bent to receive a pair of horseshoe preferably permanent magnets, of the usual type, that have their respective polar arms disposed on opposite sides of the rotatable disk 15, whereby the disk rotates within the field of the magnets 20, in accordance with the familiar watt-meter practice referred to above. The arrangement of parts is such as to allow the magnets 20 to rotatively move on the axle 16 by reason of the magnetic force between the disk 15 and the magnets that is set up by the eddy currents created in the disk, as will be understood. The lower end of the axle 16 is provided with a pointer or swinging arm 21. A pair of suitable springs 22 are oppositely secured to the arm 21 to bias it to a central position wherein contact is effected between a. contact member 23 that is secured to the arm 21 and a stationary contact member 24 that is included in lthe circuit of the door-actuating mechanisms, as set forth later.

It will be understood that during the rotation of the motor armature, the consequent rotation of the disk 15 magnetically moves the magnets 20 and the associated arms 19 in the manner above outlined, whereby the contact members 23 and 24 become disengaged and the arm 21 swings outwardly to a position indicated by dotted lines 25, the direction of movement of the arm 21, of course, depending upon the direction of rotation of the disk 15.

Assuming that the master controller MC is moved to an operative position and that the remainder of the apparatus embodied in the system occupies the respective positions shown, the operation of the system may be set forth as follows: Aeircuit is established from the intermediate point 13 of the control resistor CR, through conductors 26 and 27, the cooperating stationary and movable contact members 12 and 11, respectively, of the door-restraining device RD? in its lower position, conductor 28, the eoperating contact members 12 and 11 of the other door-restraining device RD1 in its lower position, conductor 29, contact member 30 of the door controlling switch DS in its position marked Cl/lose, conductor 31, control fingers 82 and 33 which are bridged by contact segment 34 of the master controller, the actuating coil 35 of one of the motor-controlling switches, control fingers 36 and 37 which are bridged by Contact segment 38, conductor 39 and through the point 14 of the control resistor (llt to ground. The controlling motors may thus be accelerated in accordance with any suitable practice, and inasmuch as the particular control system employed is not. material to my present invention, I have not deemed it necessary to show or describe any further operation of such a control system.

Assuming that the vehicle is being brought to rest, the master controller having been re turned to its off position, thedoor-control switch DS has thus been moved to its posilion marked Opem whereupon, after the vehicle has stopped, a circuit is established from the conductor 26 through conductor 40, contact member 41 of the door-controlling switch DS in its position marked Opern conductor 42, cooperating stationary and movable contact members 24 and 23, respectivelv, of the magnetica]ly-eontrolled switch MS, the arm 21 of the switch. conductor 43, the actuating coil 8 of tludoorrestraining device RD2, conductor 44, the actuating coil 6 of the valve V that correspends to the door D2, conductor 45, the actuating coil 8 of the door-restraining device RD1, conductor 46, the actuating coil 6 of the other valve V and conductor 47 to the negative conductor Ground.

The valves V are thus opened to admit fluid pressure to the cylinders 1 and the restraining devices RD1 and HD2 are lifted, whereby the doors D1 and D2 may be fully opened. At the same time, the coperating contact members 11 and 12 of each of the restraining devices RD1 and HD2 become disengaged and, consequently, the circuit of the motor-control system CS is broken at both of the contact members 11 and also at the contact member 30 of the door-control switch DS. As a result, the motor-control system cannot be energized, even though the door-controlling switch DS is returned to its positions marked Close, until the doors Dl and D2 have been closed, when the core members 9 of the restraining devices RD1 and RD2 will drop into the recesses 10 of the doors.

To close the doors D1 and D2 and again render the motor-control system operative, it is only necessary to actuate the master controller to its initial operative position, whereby the door-controlling switch DS is moved to its positions marked Close. In this way, the actuating circuit of the dooroperating mechanisms is interrupted and the springs 3, acting upon the pistons I), close the doors. The various parts then occupy the positions shown in the drawing and already described, whereby the motor control system CS may' be again operated to accelerate the vehicle.

`It will be noted that I have thus provided a Asafety system for electric railway vehicles wherein a single device, namely, the purely magnetically-controlled switch MS vdirectly controls the circuits of the dooractuating mechanisms and indirectly controlsthe governing circuits of the motorcontrol system CS, the switch MS thus directly preventing the opening of the vehicle doors until the propelling motors have come to a standstill and the restraining devices RD1 being dependent upon the position of the switch MS for performing their functions in connection with the motor-control system.

In Fig. 3, a modification of the magnetically-controlled switch, shown in Fig. 2, is illustrated and comprises a suitable single horse-shoe preferably permanent magnet 48 that has its north and south pole arms, marked N and S, respectively, bent over in the manner shown to partially inclose a rotatable disk member 49, preferably of tungsten steel or some other material having relatively high magnetic retentivity and coercive force. The magnet 48 is associated with the bearing-member 18 in the same manner as the magnets 20 are secured to the bearing-member 18 in Fig. 2, and the disk 49 is secured to the axle 16, which is again driven in accordance with the movements of the propelling motor in any suitable manner. l

In the device just described, consequent poles N and S are induced in the disk 49 at points respectively opposite the north and south poles of the permanent magnet 48, and upon rotation of the disk 49, the magnetic attraction exerted between the disk and the magnet serves to effect a predetermined rotative movement of the magnet to vary the position of the contact-carrying arm 21.

By suitable design of parts, the relative forces exerted by the actions of hysteresis and of eddy currents, respectively, may be proportioned to permit of the desired operation of the switch.

It has been found by experiment that the position taken by the arm 21 upon rotation of either of the disk members 15 and 49, depending upon which particular construction is employed, is independent of the speed of the disk within predetermined limits and that, consequently, the operation of the magnetically-controlled switch MS is effective and reliable throughout the range of the speed of the operating motor.

It should be observed that if the brakes should be released when the vehicle was standing on a grade, the vehicle could start with the doors open, the motor controller, of course, occupying its off position at this -time. However, the magneticaction of the switch MS would immediately effect the disengagement of the coperating Contact mem bers 24 and 23, and the actuating circuit of the door-operating mechanisms would be denergized, whereby the vehicle doors would immediately close. Although the cooperating contact members 11 and 12 would then effect engagement, the propelling motors, of course, would not become operative unless the master controller was subsequently moved to an operative position.

I have made provision for operation of my safety system under certain emergency conditions, as follows. If the supply-circuit energy should be interrupted, the doors could be manually operated by the handles 6a of the valves V and the handles 9*1 of the door-restraining devices RD1 and RDZ, as will be understood. Any other suitable means for manually operating the doors may be employed, if desired.

However, such manual operation may be dispensed with by providing an emergency source of energy, such as a battery B, which is adapted to be connected through a suitable switch SW and the auxiliary Contact members 51 of a line relay LR, of a familiar type, in its lower position, to the points 13 and 14 of the control resistor CR. The actuating coil of the relay is connected to the supply-circuit conductors Trolley and Ground, and the relay is held open so long as the supply-circuit voltage is uninterrupted. Upon a failure of the voltage, the relay drops to connect the battery in circuit, whereby the doors may be operated in the usual manner.

I do not wish to be restricted to the speciiic circuit connections or construction and arrangement of parts herein set forth, inasmuch as various modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a door-operating system for vehicles, the combination with a movable door and actuating means therefor, of a motor-control system associated with said actuating means, means dependent upon predetermined conditions for preventing movement of said door, and means dependent upon said rst neans for preventing operation of said control system when said door occupies a certain position.

2. In a door-operating system for vehicles, the combination with a movable door and actuating means therefor, of a motor-control system associated with said actuating means, means dependent upon movement of the vehicle for preventing opening of said door, and means dependent upon said first means for preventing operation of said control system when said door is open.

3. In a door-operating system for vehicles, the combination with a movable door and electrically-controllcd actuating means therefor, of a motor-control system electrically associated with said actuating means, means dependent upon movement of the vehicle for maintaining the circuit of said actuating means inoperative, and means actuated in accordance with the condition of said circuit and also dependent upon the position of said door for rendering said control system operative or inoperative.

4c. In a door-operating system for vehicles,

the combination with a movable door and electrically-controlled actuating means therefor, of a motor-control system electrically associated with said actuating means, means magnetically dependent upon movement of the vehicle for maintaining the circuit of said actuating means inoperative, and switching means having an actuating coil connected in circuit with said actuating means for preventing the operation of said control system when said door is open.

5. In a door-operating system for vehicles, the combination with a movable door and electrically-controlled actuating means therefor, of a member adapted to move rotatively while the vehicle is in motion, magnetizing means actuated through vmagnetic action upon said member, and switching means associated with said magnetizing means for energizing said door-actuating means only when said member is stationary.

6. In a door-operating system for vehicles, the combination with a movable door and electrically-controlled actuating means therefor, of a motor-control system electrically associated with said actuating means, a member adapted to move rotatively while the vehicle is in motion, and switching means controlled by magnetic action upon said member for energizing said door-actuating means only when said member is stationary. 7. In a door-operating system for vehicles, the combination with a movable door and electrically-controlled actuating means therefor, of means dependent upon the movement oi' the vehicle for maintaining said actuating means inoperative, and means for preventing the operation of the vehicle when said door is open.

. 8. In a door-operating system for vehicles, the combination with a movable door, electrically-controlled actuating means for said door, and a motor-control system combined with said actuating means, of electricallycontrolled means for preventing the operation of said door while the vehicle is in motion, and means for preventing the operation of the motor-control system when said door is open.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of June,

LEWIS W. CHUBB. 

